Healthcare Marketing to Seniors: How to Create and Distribute on-Target Messaging

In healthcare, marketing to seniors can be tricky because the messaging often conflicts with how they view themselves. Imagine a healthy, active person in their 60s receiving targeted marketing about hearing aids, walking aids, and organizations like AARP. The advertisements can feel insulting if they don’t see themselves needing these services.

Since you don’t want to risk alienating older adults with your healthcare marketing, it’s essential to consider how this audience feels about their age and the general perception of senior citizens. Then, discover the best practices for creating effective targeted messaging for this group and the tools needed for marketing success in this endeavor.

Understanding Senior Citizens and Subjective Age 

There are many markers for determining when a person because a senior citizen, which is part of the confusion surrounding this audience. For instance, people qualify for some social security benefits at 62, so is this when they become senior citizens? Yet, you aren’t eligible for Medicare until 65, so is this age a better marker?

In addition to the ambiguity regarding when a person becomes a senior citizen are the stereotypes about old age. Just based on the phrase “senior citizen”, a person may think of someone as frail and incapable of taking care of themselves. Compare this with someone in their early 70s who is just as active as a younger adult. Being lumped into this definition is sure to turn them off.

This phenomenon, known as subjective age, is not reserved for those outlier older people who may be more active than their peers — some research has suggested that many older adults feel younger than their actual age. This perceived health does more than encourage seniors to live actively; it can lead to better overall health and wellness.

Tips for Crafting Engaging Healthcare Messaging for Seniors

Today, when people talk about aging adults, they typically mean baby boomers. This group was born between 1946 and 1964 and accounts for about 70% of the United States population, making them the second largest generational group in the country. Beyond their number, baby boomers tend to be more affluent than younger people. As such, they are often the focus of marketing campaigns — in and outside the healthcare industry.

To have the most impact on this target audience, healthcare marketers should keep subjective age in mind with all advertising efforts for older adults. The following are some aspects to consider when marketing to senior citizens:

  • Center content around their health concerns (best practices for heart and cognitive health and general healthy living)
  • Contemplate the specific audience (retired, still working, dealing with physical limitations)
  • Factor in pain points of family members and other caregivers
  • Implement clear and straightforward language
  • Avoid using overly complex designs or fonts that make the content harder to read
  • Recognize that senior citizens are more likely to emphasize value over cost
  • Understand that this audience takes their time and will likely not appreciate messaging that implies urgency
  • Devote time to building trust with older adults to increase the chances they become loyal to your facility

The Healthcare Marketing Approach for Senior Audiences

Given the various medical needs of senior citizens, healthcare facilities should consider a multichannel marketing method. This strategy will incorporate conventional marketing capabilities with modern tactics. The two primary components of a multichannel approach include:

Traditional Media

Older adults grew up without the internet as we know it today and are accustomed to print and broadcast media. While many baby boomers regularly use computers, they are familiar with direct mail, TV ads, and similar techniques and may be more likely to respond to them than younger people.

Digital Media

Despite common misconceptions, not all older adults are averse to technology. One study found that baby boomer interest in social media is growing, with Facebook and YouTube being the most popular among people in this age group.

Digital media can be advantageous for the marketer, as well — it often delivers real-time insights into the effectiveness of your campaign in reaching and resonating with the intended audience. Besides social media, digital marketing may include video and website content like blogs.

Seek Marketing Help from AMNY Health Marketing

No matter your target audience, you want to design marketing campaigns with messaging that speaks to their needs and recognizes their self-perception. However, it can be challenging to figure out the best approach to each audience, especially in healthcare where marketers must account for multiple personas with vastly different needs. If your hospital or practice faces these concerns, turn to MassLive Media Group for solutions.

Our healthcare marketing specialists utilize strategies backed by reliable healthcare market data to help facilities meet objectives, whether it’s increasing the number of patients they serve or sharing their expertise with prospects. We combine digital and traditional marketing with award-winning creative services and more to help you experience success with ad campaigns. Contact us today to learn more, or review our blog for further insights.

 

References

https://healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/healthcare-marketing-to-seniors-how-to-create-and-distribute-on-target-messaging.html

https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/aging/articles/when-do-you-become-a-senior-citizen

https://www.statista.com/statistics/797321/us-population-by-generation/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9274253/

https://www.renolon.com/baby-boomers-and-social-media/

 

Manufacturing Recruitment Strategy

Worker shortages in manufacturing industry is real. Highly skilled positions remain open as a significant portion of the manufacturing workforce is nearing retirement age. For manufacturers, building and maintaining a robust and skilled talent pool is key for both short-term and long-term hiring success.

Recruitment Marketing as a Relationship Builder, Not Just Candidate Sourcing

Don’t wait to be present until a position is open – consistently position your brand in front of both passive and active job seekers. Consistent branding creates a talent pool who is familiar with your company, benefits, culture and therefore more likely to consider you when looking to make a career change. Top of the funnel marketing tactics such as video and display make your brand presence known.

Build A Connection By Understanding Your Best Potential Candidates 

Develop personas, marketing strategies and campaigns specific to your common open positions. Different positions attract different types of candidates. Understanding the nuances allows you to more directly content with job seekers, to communicate your company story and to welcome them into your culture with a personalized approach. Seek out a recruitment marketing partner with a deep data bench, capable of developing audience segments, media placements and creative to speak directly to specific candidate audiences.

Enhance Your Job Board Presence with Display & Video

Placements on job boards are effective in reaching those actively seeking a position. However, other traditional marketing methods like targeted display and video allow companies to share their full story. More visual formats let prospective candidates see your benefits and experience your culture. Both elements that can cause them to choose you as their next employer – over your competition.

SUCCESS STORIES

Healthcare Recruitment Strategy

A growing aging population, pandemic burnout and a ramp up of traveling nurse opportunities have put a strain on healthcare recruitment. Nurses are in high demand – with an abundance of employment options to choose from. How does your healthcare facility standout in this mad dash for employment?

Invest in the Community You Serve

Healthcare is essential to the community. Consider supporting the community you serve by sponsoring local events, job fairs and awards to keep your organization top-of-mind. Not only will these positive associations bring your organization front and center, it will also generate positive word of mouth among the community – reaching friends and families connected to potential candidates.

Showcase Company Culture

Give a glimpse of what its like to work at your organization on any given day. Show the people who work there, the halls to be walked and the benefits to be had. Video succinctly communicates positive culture through virtual tours, testimonials and more. Written testimonials and other content featuring current employees lend authenticity to your showcase.

Replenish Talent Pools with New Grads

New graduates are critical in helping to fill staffing gaps and to replenish talent pools. Utilize highly targeted strategies to reach new graduates, while still on campus, where they are spending their time. Hyper local mobile targeting puts your organization front and center among soon-to-be-graduating adding you to their consideration set for post-graduation employment.

SUCCESS STORIES

Education Recruitment Strategy

Like most categories of business, education providers are facing faculty and staff shortages. Finding experienced and passionate educators and faculty continues to be a challenge. Education institutions should look beyond salary and benefits to larger strategies to drive interest and applications for the upcoming school year ahead.

Build Your Talent Pool with Year-Round Strategy

Primary education recruitment season begins at the end of the previous school year, with many schools starting from scratch every year. Establishing a year-round recruitment marketing strategy, allows you
to reach faculty and staff considering a change throughout the school year, adding them to your talent pool as the year progresses. Having a year-round plan also puts your institution front and center, outside of the more cluttered traditional recruitment period.

Utilize Your Community As A Recruitment Tool

Your community has the potential to be a unique selling point for your institution. Consider highlighting the quality of life – showing prospective employees the community you serve. Community events, local activities, cost of living and more can have pull over prospective employees looking to make a move or to enjoy a way of life your community offers. Partner with local events, local organizations and even your convention and visitors bureau to generate content about your community.

Job Fairs Help Build Awareness of Your Institution

Passive and Active job seekers join job fairs to learn more about prospective districts and institutions. By merely being present, among your competition, you can ensure that your district or institution is in the consideration set for educators looking to make a career move. Both in-person and virtual career fairs provide additional visibility and awareness for your institution.

SUCCESS STORIES

Warehouse Recruitment Strategy

Warehouses are experiencing unprecedented growth thanks to a shift towards online shopping. As growth continues and timely shipping remains critical, warehouses face a continual shortage of workers.

Tout the Benefits That Make You Stand Out

Warehousing jobs are not historically known for good benefits and upward mobility. With changing demand and increased competition, more warehouse companies are adding long-term benefits and job training to their offerings. As an employer, tout benefits like 401Ks, employer matching and paid training as part of new hire packages. Talk about your openings more as long-term careers vs. short- term or holiday employment for additional appeal.

Get Connected In the Community

Grassroots community efforts and word of mouth tactics still hold strong in warehousing recruitment. Sponsoring local community events and job fairs raises brand awareness in the community, spreads positive sentiment about your organization and jump starts word of mouth. This simple activation makes your organization more likely to be noticed by potential job seekers and considered as a stable, future local employer in a future job search.

Local Jobs, Local Placements

Warehousing recruitment pulls most applicants and new hires locally. Very rarely to companies hire outside of their immediate market. Tap into the local job seeker scene through local job boards, job fairs and other local job posting opportunities. Local job seekers continually use these outlets to find new employment opportunities.

SUCCESS STORIES

Trucking Recruitment Strategy

Facing an aging workforce and increased competition for new talent, the trucking industry struggles to keep recruitment pipelines full and trucking routes staffed. Trucking industries should look to implement full-funnel marketing strategies to not only attract active job seekers but it keep talent pools fresh with new prospects.

Address Trucking Industry Myths

Increase top-of-the-funnel prospects by introducing the benefits of a trucking industry careers to passive job seekers. Address potential concerns head-on, including hours, mileage goals and living conditions while highlighting employment benefits such as 401K matching, healthcare and time off. Video and written content are both great vehicles to communicate this information.

Stay in Touch with Prospects

Deciding to change careers can be a lengthy process for passive job seekers. Keep your talent pool active with periodic communication about your business, job openings and career benefits. Set up an email calendar, reaching out to a list of emails from those who you met at job fairs, submitted an inquiry or sent a full resume. Frequently post about your culture, the trucking industry and openings to keep your followers engaged.

Job Boards Are Important

Trucking applicants remain tapped in to local and regional job boards. A presence on local job boards and job aggregator sites provide you business with bottom of the funnel presence – reaching those interested in the truck industry and actively applying now.

SUCCESS STORIES

Professional Recruitment Strategy

Finding outstanding talent that fits your culture is a concern for any business. Make the most of your time and resources by attracting qualified candidates that can hit the ground running and succeed within your organization. Identify quality talent and cultivate your talent pool with leading recruitment marketing strategies perfect for professional businesses.

Showcase Your Company Culture

Tell the story of your business, your history, your employees and more. The more a prospective employee knows about your operations and culture the more they are able to determine whether they are a match for your organization. Office tour videos, employee testimonials and other visuals can help to show daily life within your company.

Tailor Communications to Open Positions

Instead of deploying blanket recruitment ads for all positions in your company, consider developing custom creative and campaigns for each position. Messaging should focus on key benefits and operations of that role, showcase photos and videos of that segment of your business and speak directly to those candidates. Specific communication, drives more qualified applications – increasing your odds of finding a match while building up your talent pool - than general recruitment ads.

Use Job Boards to Reach Active Job Seekers

Job Fairs, local job boards and job board aggregators remain critical bottom-of-the-funnel tactics in securing applications for open positions. While other flashier tactics will fill the top of your funnel, these more nitty-gritty media elements provide a place for active job seekers to seamlessly apply for the positions they want – now.

SUCCESS STORIES